IGNACIO – As quickly as patrons funneled into the Dancing Spirit Center for the Arts, eyes locked onto the wide array of art just as fast.
To the immediate right upon entering through the front door were colorful framed paintings. In the far left corner were a number of hand-crafted cups and other pottery, plus multiple other framed paintings.
People looked on with astonishment, which was the desired effect the art center sought all along during Saturday’s sneak peek. Such reactions in turn left Kasey Correia, executive director of Dancing Spirit, astonished.
“I’ll tell you what, I almost fainted a few minutes ago. … It’s been a long road,” she said as visitors made their way inside. “It’s been a little bit of a ride. … I had no idea that it was going to be (so) big.”
The 4,000-square-foot facility, which costs an estimated $2 million, is located in downtown Ignacio at 465 Goddard Ave., across from the library and within a block of the Farmers Fresh Market.
Aside from being a gathering place for artists to showcase their work, the center will also have a stage for live music. There’s also a back-end seating area with three space-themed art frames hanging on the wall near a pottery studio.
“When this first came to fruition, and this idea came in that I was asked to be engaged in such a great thing for the community, I was like, ‘Absolutely. I’m in.’ We are truly a family dynamic. … This has been a family collaboration as far as how we put this thing together,” said Tony Blevins, a general contractor for the project and Correia’s stepson.
Blevins said the “breathtaking” project was “probably one of the biggest feats” of his career because of the doors it helped open in Ignacio, adding that the center’s various items from oil paintings to fabric art make it even more special.
“It’s overwhelming, it really is,” he said.
Todd Gaver, an architect and building designer who helped oversee the project, said working with the nonprofit Dancing Spirit has presented nothing but good vibes, something that emanated from the new building on Saturday.
“This has been a different-feeling project from Day One,” he said. “The fact that it’s a community center that already has a 14-year track record of doing good in the community, a record of being there for people … the history brought in all kinds of good will.”
Taking some time over the weekend to let those vibes set in, Correia couldn’t help but marvel about the potential the new center brings to town.
“The space has just transitioned to something that’s so elevated for our community. It’s beyond the normal reach that I even envisioned,” she said. “I want to empower (people) in their art. … Our little area of the world here in Ignacio and outside of it has a lot of, really, hidden treasure artists.”
The center’s grand opening will be held Oct. 25. It was initially slated for Oct. 4, but leadership wants to ensure things like some last-minute work on the flooring are all set to help ensure visitors have the best possible experience.
mhollinshead@durangoherald.com
